Dirigible balloon.



"J-JS'GHZETB; DIRIGIBLE 13A-11.0012'.` APPLICATION FILED MAY l, 1912.

Patented sept. 9, 19113;-

JOHANN SCHTTE, 0F DANZIG, GERMANY.

DRIGIBLE BAL'LooN.

V74B Srixrecication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept.. 9., i913..

Application filedMay 1, 1912. Serial No. 694,544.

To all 'whom t may concern." y

Be itlniown that l., JOHANN Sonr'rn, a subject of the German Emperor,residing at No. 3l Grosse Allee, Danzig, in the Gel`- man Empire, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Dirigible Balloons; andI do hereby declare the following` to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the intention, suoli as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Experience has demonstrated that in dirigible balloons or air-shipswhose gasholders are provided with a frame the rigid connection betweenthe car .and the frame which has hitherto been used is unsuitable,inasmuch as on alight-ing or striking trees and so forth it not onlyentails injury to the car and its connections with the frame but alsoinjury to the frame itself. It has fre quently happened that the entirecraft has been destroyed from this cause.

The arrangement in. resilient or i nonrigit dirigible balloons, wherethe cars are tlexiblysuspended on two lateral belts of the fabricenvelop by4 means of cords, in such a manner, however, that 'they areunable to shift relatively to the gas-holder body in the transverse andlongitudinal directions during Fright, is much more favorable.

New the present invention has for its object to render the advantages ofthe nonrigid suspension' utilizable for so-called frame air-ships also,while at the same time relieving the several elements of the frameL frompowerful local strains and to reinforce the tot-al assemblage of theframe considerably.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure l shows the suspension of the car and the reinforcement of theframe in elevation. Fig. 2 shows the same in section, and Fig. 3illustrates a detail of the suspension of the car.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a di-rigible balloon, the'frame ofwhich con! sists of longitudinal bearers bent into corrugations thesummits of which are connected to form acircular body, and also oftransverse bearers located inside of the longitudinal bearers and fittedannularly at the points of connection of said longitudinal bearers.

The framework is an open 'cage' covered with fabric and the gas envelopis arranged inside thereof. l y

Cables s run to the joints 7J verse bearers R of the frame.

beside these cables s cables s2 of the trans- Enternally, are providedwhich aresecured to the lateral bands' yoff' the fabric saddle A.tightly iitting over the middle portion ofthe frame. The tensile strainof these cables s2 is distributed over large lengths of the bands (j andby these over the saddle A itself by dividing thecables at their ends,that is to say by what are termed crows feet. In this manner theweiglits of the cars and any shocks that may arise are transmitted onthe one hand to the corresponding rigid elements of the frame and Aonthe other hand to the saddle A. and thereby overltlie system as a whole.

As shown in Figs. 2 vand 3 the suspension is effected by means of asling or slip loop so that on lateral tilting of the cars at theA Vthatin a resilient or non-rigid dirigible'.

The cables s first proceeding from the cars` Gr lead to the junction 7.1of the cablcaccnstruction and are here connected with the bolts ofthejunction plates b v thimblcs. ictween the plates of the junctionpoint-Zi. va

roller isl provided over which the cable runs. The external end ofthisslip 'loep cable s2 extends to the band {,'fof the saddle A withwhich .it is connected byrrows feet. The inner end of the cable s?,leaflsto a junction point k2 where it is iii-mij: -tigt-irl'beegg tweenthe junction plates to a belt. lflynnians` of thimbles. The junctionplates rolf this ljunction point if Ialso carry a roller-over which thecable s runs, its ends heinglirmly connected with the junction pointAtransverse bearer R of the frame.. as .statedv above. r

ln order to prevent longitudinal sh'ftiugr of the saddle A, whichowing'lto vits friction with the frame imparts a'ccrtaiu rigidity tolO-S the frame bearers and thereby largely in creases the rigidity andsecurity of the system, the ends of the frame are inclosed in Vlaps llB* of strong material, the bands y /2 of which are connected withthee-bands g/ ofthe saddle A by cables a and crows feet, and connectingcables s* are also provided which run from thesecaps to the cars.these'e-nd or prow and stern caps also afford security against fractureof the frame in the case of collision with trees and other-objects.l Asthe material of which these end caps are made is very strong (presentinga strength 'of l meter extension length for generally speaking breakingbranches etc. slide on the frame, which between the saddle and thedirigible ends is coated with thin impregnated fabric witho'ut injuringthe fabric or becoming caught in the connections of the frame andbreaking them.

For the purpose of further stilfening the frame the transverse bearers Rare stretched by means of traction members (Fig. 2) which connect the.junctions of the cross bearer one with the other. In the first placeeach junction is connected with the junction diametrically opposite toitl and the junction points located on the same verticals andhorizontals are connected as shown by traction members, such as wirecables for e2;- ample. In this manner every three junction points areconnected by an immovable triangular connection. Furthermore thosejunction points of the lower half of the cross bearer upon which thecars G are -suspended are connected with further junction points of theupper half of the bearer by traction members 2. Finally for stiifeningthe lower part of the transverse bearers itsjunctions are connected onewith the other by traction members z2. This method of stretching thetransverse bearer provides an effect-ual stitfening of the frame and theuniform distribution of all loads and shocks over all the parts of theassemblage. Consequently while in the case of rigid connection of theframe with the cars as hitherto effected all the intermediate partsbetween the cars and the frame led to separate frame elements and innon-rigid dirigibles only the lateral belts are intended ,for supportingthe load, by means of the present invent-ion it is possible to obtain afar more favorable distribution of the forces resulting fromthe load andfrom shocks and at the same time to strengthen the frame itself andrender it a far strenger and more stable structure.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis l. A dirig'ible balloon comprising in combination, a gas holder, aframework, a saddle arranged thereover, and cap members arranged at eachend of the framework and connected with the saddle.

erasure 2. A dirigible balloon comprising in combination, a gas holder,`a framework, a saddle disposed thereover, a plurality of suspended cars.and a cap member arranged at eachv end of the framework and connectedwith the saddle and with said ears.

3. A dirigible balloon comprising in combination, a gas holder, aframework, a saddle of strong material arranged thereover, and capmembers inclosing the ends of the framework and connected with thesaddle, the said saddle and caps serving to hold the individual elementsof the framework together, and reinforcing means for the frame elements.

4L. A dirigible balloon comprising in combination, a gas holder, a framecomprising 'longitudinally 4and transversely arranged bearers, a saddlemember 4disposed thereover, prow and stern caps inclosing the ends ofthe longitudinal bearers and connected by cables with the saddle, carssuspended from the saddle and 'the end caps, the connection andsuspension of the said cars being such that the load and all shocks andtilting movements are spread over the system as a whole.

5. A dirigible balloon comprising a gas holder, a framework, a -saddlearranged thereon, caps -arranged at the ends of the frame and connectedwith the saddle, and cars suspended from the framework, the saddle and.he caps, each suspension element comprising a series of cable memberswhich are in connection one with another by means of a plurality ofplates, provided with rollers over which the cable members pass.

6. A dirigible balloon comprising a gas holder, a framework, cap membersarranged at each end thereof, a saddle disposed over the frame andconnected with the caps, cars suspended from the frame and the saddleand the end caps, each suspension element of the cars from the frame andsaddle comprising a series of cable members which are in connectionone'with another by means of a plurality of junction plates fitted withrollers over which the cable members pass, a central cable member beingconnected to one plate, passing over a pulley on another and having itsend connected with a band on the saddle.

7. A dirigible balloon comprising in combination a gas holder, aframework, a saddle arranged thereover, cap members arranged at the endsof the framework, and cars suspended from the framework, the saddle andthe caps, the said framework beingiconstituted by longitudinal andtransverse bearers, the latter comprising a series of junction pointseach point of which is in connection with three others, substantially asdescribed.

8. A dirigible balloon comprising in combination, a gas holder, aframework system inolosing the same, cap members .inoiosing vthe `endsof the framework, andars suspended fromnthe said frameworirfand caps,the framework being constituted by longitudinal and substantiallycircular transverse bearers, the .latter of which each comprising aseries of junction points each of which is in connection by tractionmembers with three points located diametrically opposite, and on thehorizontal and vertical drawn therefrom to the bearer. Y j V.

. 9 A dirigible balloon comprising in combination, a'gas holder,-aframework system 4inclosing the gas holder,a saddle`l arranged"thereover, alcapmember arranged' at each end of the frameworkandconnected with the saddle, "and 'ears suspended .from the iframework, the saddle and the caps, the framework system comprisinglongitudinal and substantially circular transverse bearers' the latterof which each having ,a series of junction points each of which is inconnec- 1 half of the bearer. A e 10. A dirigible balloon comprising agas I tion withthree yother/paints, the points of the lower half of thebearer being connected with additional junction points of the upperholder, .a--framework system inclosing the gasl holder, asaddlearranged'thereover, a

cap member arranged at each end of the framework and connected with thesaddle, and cars resiliently suspended from the framework, the saddle.and the end caps, each suspension element of the car from the frame andsaddle comprising a 4series of cable members which are in connection onewithY another 'by means of a .plurality of junction plates't'ted withrollers over'which the cable members' pass, andthe framework nommaperiphery of the saidk syste-m comprising longitudinal and transversebearers, each of the latter being provided with a series of junctionpoints, each point' of whlch 1s 1n connection with other Vjunctionpoints of the same 4,transverse bearer, substantially as described.

11. A 'dirigible balloon comprising a gas holder, a framework systeminclosing the same, a cap member arranged at each end of 4 12.' Adirigible balloon comprising a gas holder, a framework system inclosingthe same, a cap member .arranged at each end of the framework, and carssuspended from the framework and from the end caps, the framework systembeing constituted'by longitudinal and transverse bearers, each of fthelatterbearers comprising a' series of junction points eachpoint of whichis in connection with the threev points located diametrically oppositel'and on the lines drawn horizontally and vertically therefrom to the'periphery of the bearer, the points of the lower half of the bearerbeing connected with those of the upper half, and also with one another.

ln testimonyl whereof, I have affixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

. JOHANN SCHUTTE. litnesses VALTER BL'ErssnN, KARL l/VALTHER.

